Radial-draft gear.



.E. H. SCHMIDT. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED 11111.27, 1909.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- WITNESSES M' www@ COLUMBIA PLANoauAPM Co.. WAsHlNuTDN. D. c.

E. H. SCHMIDT.

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED mm2?. 1909.

Patented Dec.26, 1911.

5 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

*0 d U u WITNESSES Y INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0 WASHINGTON. n. c.

E. H. SCHMIDT.

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2'1, 1909.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.y

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

adua'mu dond...

wlTNEssEs I l COLUMBIA PLANonRAlH C0.. WASHINGTON, D. c;

E. H. SCHMIDT.

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED .11.11.27, 1909.

Pateted Dec.26,1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR WITNESSES COLUMBIA APLANDGRAPPI Co., wAsmNGTON, DA c.

E. H. SCHMIDT. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED 5.111,27, 1909,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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TINTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

ERNEST H. SCI-IIVITDT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALMALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

RADIAL-DRAFT GEAR.

infame.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county,State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRadial-Draft Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view partly insection setting forth the improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical horizontalsection of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical crossnsection on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevation partlyin section showing more clearly the link connection between the couplerand dummy buffer; Fig. 5 is a detail view of parts shown in Fig. 4;Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the dummy buffer casting, Fig. 6being a plan, Fig. 7 a front elevation partly in section, and Fig. 8 across-section on the line VIII- VIII of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a detail viewof the bracket, to which the uncoupling mechanism is secured; Fig. 10 isa perspective view of the lever; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the couplerhead showing the shoulders and lip to which the pivotal links aresecured; Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views of the pivotal link; Fig. 14is a perspective view of the carrier iron; and Figs. 15 and 16 aresectional detail views of the slotted head.

As is shown in the drawings, the coupler 1 has a rearwardly extendingshank 2, preferably of ordinary rectangular shape in cross-section, andsupported at its forward end bya carrier and a support 4. The support 4is a curved segment arranged above the coupler shank and havinglaterally projecting flanges, and the carrier 3 is lipped over it and isalso lipped around a longitudinal slideway 2 on the top of the couplershank, so that the coupler is free to move longitudinally in buffing anddraft through the carrier and is also free to move transversely on the.support 4 in its radial motion described below.

The rear end of the coupler shank has a yoke 5, 5a made in two memberswhich are fixed to the shank by rivets b or otherwise at their forwardend, and at the rear end have an interposed follower 10. Above the upperarm 5a of the yoke is a head or casting 11, and parts 5, 5a, 1() and 11are secured together by means of through-bolts c. The

head 11 has a longitudinal slot fitting over, a pivot stud 12 whichprojects from a block or casting 13 on the car frame and forms thepivotal center on which the draft gear is adapted to move radially, theslot in the part 11 permitting the draft gear to move longitudinallyback and forth on the stud 12.

7 is a curved segment which is fixed to the car sill and extendstransversely between the arms, 5, 5a of the yoke, and on this segment ismounted a sliding sleeve 9 having vertically projecting lips o-r flanges9 which en-.

gage the sides of the members 5, 5a of the yoke and hold the sleeve inplace on the yoke. The sleeve therefore travels with the arms of theyoke in their radial motion along the segment 7.

At the front and rear faces of the sleeve 9 are spring seats d, d whichreceive the springs 6, 6a, and these springs bear, respectively, attheir front and rear ends, against spring seats eon the front and rearfollowers 8 and 10. These springs are preferably made double, as shownin the drawings, and may be of equal strength, or the forward spring 61may be of less resisting strength than the rear spring 6 for purposesdescribed in the patent of Harry T. Krakau, No. 984,937, issued February21st 1911, of which this device is an improvement.

In order to prevent buckling of two of my draft gears when coupledtogether I provide the coupler head 1, at its sides, with lateral stopsor flanges 1 at each side of the recess for the knuckle. The projectionson one coupler are adapted to engage the projections on the opposingcoupler and thus to keep the coupler shanks sufficiently in line toprevent buckling when under bufling strains. The buing strains aretransmitted through the couplers to the forward spring 6a, which iscompressed against the sleeve 9, and the force of pulling is transmittedto the rear spring 6, which is compressed against the rear face of thesleeve 9, the forces of bufling and draft being transmitted through thissleeve to the curved segment 7, and the slotting of the part 11permitting the draft gear to move freely forward and backward.

For the purpose of providing a continuous passageway from the platformof one car to the platform of another, I prefer to use 6, 7 and 8. 14 isthe main bu'er casting and is supprted near each end by a vertical arm15 whose upper end is pivotally attached within a recess 15 by means ofa pin and cotter f. The lower end of the arm 15 is pivotally attached tothe side of the coupler head by a pin 15a which enters a hole 16 in theside of the coupler head. The arm 15 has a-lip 15b fitting over a lug 17at theside and top of the coupler head, and when the arm is adjusted tothis lug and secured at ythe bottom by means of the pin 15a its lateraldisplacement is prevented by the lip 15b and lug 17. When the arm 15 hasbeen set in place a spring 18 is inserted between the arm and a fillerblock 19 which is fastened between the lateral ribs of the coupler head.This filler block preferably has a spring seat on its forward face forthe spring 18, and the forward end of this spring is held by a springseat 15c formed on a bracket on the arm 15. The shoulder 17a on thesideof the coupler head (Fig. 11) limits the forward motion of the arm15 when it is acted upon by the spring 18, which normally holds the armagainst the shoulder.

When two cars meet, the main buffer castings 14 are caused to engage andthereupon move rearwardly and move the upper ends of the arms 15rearwardly upon their pivotal centers 15a, thus compressing the springs18 until the knuckles of the couplers engage and are coupled. Thesprings 18 being then under compression, will keep the buffers inengagement until thecars are again uncoupled, for the buffers 14 movelongitudinally with the couplers in bufng and draft.

In order to maintain the forward face of the buffer casting 14 in avertical plane, I employ a spring 20 set within a recess 15d on theforward face of the arm 15 and pressing at its forward end against therear surface of the face of the buffer casting 14. The wall 14a on themain buffer casting presses against the rear surface of the arm 15 andkeeps the spring from forcing the lower part of the wall of the bufferface too far forward; but the spring will press the lower part of thebuffer as far forward as this wall will permit, and therefore maintainsit in vertical position.

21 is a foot plate.

In order to operate the locking and opening mechanism of the coupler Iemployan operating leverl handle 22 which is pivoted at 23 to a portion24 of the hand rail column 24. This column is mounted on the dummybuffer 14 and the handle 22 is hollowed on its under side so as to ft inits lower position around the rod 25, to which it is pivoted at 26. -Atthe lower end the rod 25 is looped and incloses the arm 27 of theU-shaped lever 27.

The arms of the lever 27 are pivoted at 28 to a bracket 29 on theplatform, and the extension 27b on the lever 27 prevents the end of thearm 25 from sliding out of place. The arm 27 passes beneath theuncoupling lever 30, which is pivoted to the bracket 29 within therecess 29', and at its other end it engages the mechanism of thecoupler. This construction enables the parts to be operated merely byraising the operating handle 22 without subsequently turning it, as inprior constructions.V When the handle 22 is raised it also raises itspivotal connection with the arm 25, and this in turn raises the arm 27and the arm 30 and operates the parts of the coupler. The uncoupling arm30 is attached to the bracket 29 with sulficient freedom to permitrelative longitudinal movement of the coupler without straining theparts.

Within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims modificationsmay be made in the form and construction, since What I claim is n 1. Thecombination with a radially movable coupler, of a dummy buffer overlyingand connected to said coupler, the connection between the coupler andbuffer being arranged to allow a rearward movement of the main body ofthe buffer as a whole, relative to the coupler, said buffer coperatingwith a similar buffer of an adjacent car to provide a continuouspassageway from the platform of one car to the platform of the next.

2. The combination with a radially movable coupler, of a dummy bufferoverlying and supported from said coupler,the connection between thecoupler and buffer being arranged to allow a rearward movement of themain body of the buffer as a whole, relative to the coupler, said buffermoving longitudinally with the coupler in bufling and draft and formingpart of a continuous passageway from one car platform to the next.

3. The combination with a radially movable coupler, of a dummy bufferoverlying and supported upon said coupler, the connection between thecoupler and buffer being arranged to allow a rearward movementlof themain body of the buffer as a whole, relative to the coupler, .said dummybuer being movable longitudinally with the coupler in buiiing and Vdraftand also being movable radially withV Ysaid coupler land forming part ofa passagewayfrom one car platform to the neXt.

4. The combination with the radially movable coupler, ofV a dummy bufferlocated above the same and having pivotal link connection therewitharranged to'allow a rearward movement of the main buffer body as a wholerelative to the coupler.

5. The combination with the radially movable coupler, of a dummybuiersupported by the same, and springs arranged to hold the buiier in normalvertical position.

6. The combination with the radially movable coupler, of a dummy buffersupported by the same, springs arranged to hold the buer in normalvertical position, and stops arranged to limit the movement of thebuffer under the spring pressure.

7 The combination with the radially movable coupler, of a dummy bufferabove and, supported by pivotal links from the coupler, and springsbetween the link con- 'nection and the coupler.

8. The combination with the radially movable coupler, of pivotal linksprojecting upwardly therefrom, a dummy buffer supported on said links,and a connection between the links and the coupler arranged to preventoutward displacement of the links.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST H. soHMiDT.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. ORB, F. L. HIoKoK.

Copies of thisipatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C.

